Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-02-10

box. and the couples thus thrown to
gether were supposed to Ire attentive
to each other for certain season.
Presents Of jewelry. flowers and other
| trifics dear to the hearts of the Roman
maids were given by the young men.
and doubtless suitable returns were
made. There is no doubt the little
olive-colOred Italian boys and girls en-
| joycd the day quite rs much as modern
children do the fourteenth Of February
now"
why did they call 1t the Lupcrcal
and not St Valentines DayP" in
quired Dura. Il think Valentine
much the prctticr name"
"Lupcrcal was the day sacred &c
their false god Lupercus, whom they
imagined to preside over fertility. St.
| Valentine was not known then nor for
many years after. When Christianity
became the prevailing religion, the
church made an effort TO abolish the
heather feast, which, by that time,
had become mere expression Of gal.
lantry. but. finding this quite futile,
another name was given to it, and, ~
one Of the early martyrs had his
birthday on the fourteenth. they very
appropriately selected him. This was
ST. Valentine, Bishop or Presbytrr
who suffered martyrlom about tive
hundred and seventy years after our
Saviour's time He Is spoken Of in
the early church histories rs a very
good. gentle and benevolent man
can not help thinking that the good
Bishop would le surprised at some Of
the customs by which his name is per.
| pctuatod.
during the middle ages there was
prevalent notion among the country
people that this was the day on which
birds selected their mateA and at one
time 1t was the custom for young folks
TO go out before daylight on that morn
Ing, and try to catch an OWl and two
sparrows in II net If they succeeded,
it was II good omen. and entitled them
to gifts from the villagers. Anothe,
fashion WAS to write the valentino, tic
it To an apple OF orange. and steal up &c
the house of the chosen one In the even.
ing. open the door quietly and throw it
in.
THE drollcst valentine ever heard
of belongs To those old times in En-
gland, and consisted Of the rib of q
small animal, wrapped in white satin
ribbon, which was tied in true lovers
knots i'll several places. This elegant
and suggestive gift was sent to bach
clor, accompanied with verses. some of
which are not superior to those on
Dura's valentines. Here is one that
remember:
"Eo, contemplate this lovely sign,
Haste thee away to Reasons shrine,
And listen to her voice;
NO more Elusive shades pursue.
To happiness this gives the clue.
Make but II prudent choice.
Till Adam had partner given,
Much us fair Eden bloOm'd like heaven;
His bliss was incompicto;
NO social friend these joys TO share,
Gave the gay scene vacant air;
She came-twas Oil rcpletef
which was nothing to Ike desired, I'm
sure"
The children laughed meIrily at the
idea of the rib and the verses 1T
seems to me-" said Dura, THAT that
was not muck better style than my boy
and donkey"
Il think it conveyed altogether a
different meaning. You see those were
the days of gallantry and chivalry. and
their minds all run on love, courtship
and marriage. 1t was supposed, for
instance. that the first unmarried per-
son of the other sex whom one met on
St. Valentines morning in walking
abroad was destined wife or des-
tined husband. They seemed to have
imagined that an influence was inner
ent in the day which rendered in some
degree binding the lot or chance by
which any youth or maid was led TO fix
his attention on person of the oppO-
site sex.
"Those were the days of charms.
and of course the rural maidens had a
sure and infalliblc charm forctclling
the future husband. On the eve of st.
Valentines Day. the anxious damsel
prepared for sleep by pinning to her
pillow five bay leaves, one ut each
corner and one in the middle, which
must have been delightful to sleep on,
by the way. If she dreamed of her
sweetheart she was sure to marry him
before the end of the year. All this
seems very silly to us, am sure.
''Some of the old customs of the day
are still followed in various parts of
Europe. In the provinces of France,
on the eve of the day o number OF
young folks assemble together, and in.
scribe upon little billets the name of an
equal number Of each Sex of their ac-
quaintance, throw the whole together,
and draw them tho same ~ in a lot
terry, care being taken that each should
draw one of the opposite sex. The per-
son becomes Mrs Valentine For n
year the bachelor is bound TO the serv-
ice of his valentine, somewhat in ths
style of a knight of the middle ageA,
and often times he concludes to rrmai.i
bound to her companionship the rest al
his life
That is very much like the old Re-
man custom that You told US Of" said
Grace.
Yes, it is very much like tho GERS
fAonies Of the Lupercal, which shows
how an idea if it appeals to human